Chain lock

ABSTRACT

An improved chain lock with a pair of chain engaging members mounted for rotational movement within a housing having opposed openings for each receiving a chain end, a latching mechanism for latching the members in a chain engaging position after they have been rotated to that position by insertion of a chain end into the opening, a spring urging the members into rotation to a release position and a key mechanism for releasing the latching mechanism for either member so that the chain end held by that member can be withdrawn.

United States Patent [191 Frontera-Mariani [11] 3,797,282 [451 Mar. 19, 1974 1 CHAIN LOCK [76] Inventor: Rene Frontera-Marlani, Calle 4 No.

12-Urb. El Rosario, Yauco, PR.

[22] Filed: Nov. 1, 1972 [21] Appl. No.: 302,673

[52] US. Cl 70/49, 70/44, 70/48 [51] Int Cl E05b 67/36 [58] Field of Search.. 70/49, 30, 32, 33, 34,

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,689,437 10/1928 Hurd 70/49 X 1,788,396 1/1931 Johnson... 70/49 X 1,792,403 2/1931 Stone 70/33 FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS Austria 70/49 Primary Examiner-Robert L. Wolfe Attorney, Agent. or Firm-Cu.shman, Darby &

Cushman 5 7] ABSTRACT An improved chain lock with a pair of chain engaging members mounted for rotational movement within a housing having opposed openings for each receiving a chain end, a latching mechanism for latching the members in a chain engaging position after they have been rotated to that position by insertion of a chain end into the opening, a spring urging the members into rotation to a release position. and a key mechanism for releasing the latching mechanism for either member so that the chain end held by that member can be withdrawn.

6 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures CHAIN LOCK The invention relates to an improved chain lock.

There are many situations in which it is desirable to lock together two chain ends in a fashion which prevents their ready separation without the use of a unique key. For example, chains can be used to secure some object, vehicle or the like to a fixed location. Chain locks used in the past for this purpose have been overly complex and generally unsatisfactory in reliably holding the chain ends. The patent to Soley, US. Pat. No. 1,530,435, for example, shows a chain lock of the type used in the past in which pins within a housing are moved by a key to pass through chain loops and to hold the chain within the housing.

The present invention relates to an improved chain lock which has a number of particularly desirable characteristics. The mechanism is very simple and can be easily fabricated and assembled. The chain lock mechanism can be operated by a key with a simple movement to permit unlocking either end of the chain. The chain lock can be easily constructed in different sizes for different sizes of chains. Further, the chain lock of this invention provides a particularly effective mechanism for locking a chain which is virtually impossible to circumvent, and which can be opened only by the use of an appropriate key.

Many other objects and purposes of the invention will become clear from the following detailed description of the drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Reference is now made to FIG. 1 which illustrates a perspective view of the chain lock of this invention. As indicated above, the chain lock includes a housing formed of two halves and 22 which may be bolted or riveted together after receiving the chain locking mechanism. The lock of this invention includes at either end an opening for receiving a chain end so that the lock can receive and hold both ends of a chain. Opening 24 in FIG. 1 receives one end of the chain which can be manually pushed into the opening to cause locking as discussed below, while the opening at the other end receives another chain end. A conventional key mechanism 26 is mounted on the upper half 22 of the housing for receiving a unique key which operates to unlock either chain end.

Referring to FIG. 2, an exploded view of the various components which when assembled comprise the chain locking mechanism is shown. The lower half 20 of the housing is shown cut in two, so that the relation of the chain locking mechanism to the inner structure of half 20 can be readily appreciated. A first member 30 having a slot 32 and extending prongs 34 and 36 at either end for rotatably receiving chain locking members 40 and 42 is received within an inner groove 44 of lower half 20 of the housing. Chain locking members 40 and 42 are provided with upwardly extending chain engaging portions 46 and 48 which lock the chain in position when members 40 and 42 are rotated, by the insertion of a respective chain end, from a chain release to a chain engaging position. Pins 52 and 54.fit through the illustrated central passages 56 and 58 of chain engaging members 40 and 42 and mount members 40 and 42 ro tatably about extending prongs 34 and 36, respectively. Members 40' and 42 are further provided with portions 60 and 62 on the lower periphery thereof which are connected together by a spring 64 which thus continually urges rotation of members 40 and 42 to the release position.

The chain lock mechanism illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4 further includes a latching mechanism including members 70 and 72 whichare connected together by a spring 74 which continually urges members 70 and 72 apart. As can be best seen in FIGS. 2 and 4, members 70 and 72 are provided with upwardly extending pins 80 and 82 which protrude through slot 32 for movement along the length of that slot. Latching members 70 and 72 further are provided with extending tongues 84 and 86 which engage slots 90 and 92 of chain engag-' ing members 40 and 42 when those members positions are in the chain engaging position, which is the position illustrated in FIG. .4. A flat plate 96 fits beneath members 72 and 70 for holding those members in position after the chain locking mechanism. has been assembled and placed in housing halves 20 and 22.

I A conventional key locking arrangement extends downward through housing 22 and engages upwardly extending pins 80 and 82. When the key mechanism 26 is operated by the use of a suitable key, one or the other of the pins is shifted against the urging of spring 74 to release one or the other of chain engaging members 40 and 42 which rotate under the urging of spring 64 from the chain engaging position to the release position.

. Thus, to use the chain lock of this invention, a chain end is simply manually pushed into'one or the other of the openings causing rotation of the associated chain engaging member, for example, member 40 until portion 46 thereof engages and holds the chain firmly in place preventing removal thereof in the chain engaging position. At this position, tongue 84 of latching member moves outward under the urging of spring 74 moving into slot 92, latching member 40 so that the chain cannot now be withdrawn. By simply inserting the key into mechanism'26 and rotating that key conventionally, member 40 is released and can rotate under the urging of spring 64 or during the manual pulling out of the chain from the associated opening to the release position; The lock is now ready for the insertion of a new chain without the need for additionally operating the key mechanism.

i The chain lock of this invention as indicated above is particularly simple to use and to construct. Chain ends can easily be pushed into the unit without the key and locked in place similarly, the chain can be unlocked with one hand by a simple operation of the key. The key can be used to release one or both of the held chain ends. t

Many changes and modifications in the above described embodiment of the invention can, of course, be made without departing from the scope of the invention. Accordingly that scope is intended to be limited only by the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is: 1. A chain lock comprising: a chain lock housing having a pair of openings for each receiving a chain end, I I

a pair of chain engaging members rotatably mounted within said housing each receiving a chain end fed into a respective one of said openings and each having a chain engaging portion and a latching portion, spring means connecting said chain engaging members for urging rotation thereof to a chain release position permitting a chain end to be fed into an engaging position within said housing,

latching means mounted within said housing for engaging said latching portions of said chain engaging members to latch either of chain engaging members with its chain engaging portion in engagement with a chain end when that chain engaging member is rotated'from said chain release position to a locking position by the feeding of a chain end through an opening into said housing, and

key means engaging said latching means for releasing said latching means when operated to permit at least one of said chain engaging members to rotate as urged by said spring means back to said release position so that the engaging chain end can be withdrawn. 7

2. A lock as in claim 1 wherein said latching portions each include a slot in the associated chain engaging member and wherein said latching member includes first and second latching members each having a tongue mating a slot of respective chain engaging members, means for mounting said latching members each adjacent to said respective chain engaging members in said housing, a spring urging said latching members apart and respectively into the slots of said chain engaging members and wherein said key means engages said latching member to cause, when operated, at least one of said latching members to move against the urging of said spring so that the tongue of that latching member moves out of the slot in a chain engaging member.

3. A lock as in claim 2 wherein said mounting means includes a member mounting said chain engaging member for rotation.

4. A lock as in claim 2 including a plate mounted, in said housing for holding said latching members in place.

5. A lock as in claim 1 wherein said housing is formed in two parts. I v

6. A lock as in claim 1 wherein said chain engaging members each have a spring attaching portion separated from its axis of rotation and wherein said spring means includes a spring connected between said spring attaching portions of said chain engaging members. 

1. A chain lock comprising: a chain lock housing having a pair of openings for each receiving a chain end, a pair of chain engaging members rotatably mounted within said housing each receiving a chain end fed iNto a respective one of said openings and each having a chain engaging portion and a latching portion, spring means connecting said chain engaging members for urging rotation thereof to a chain release position permitting a chain end to be fed into an engaging position within said housing, latching means mounted within said housing for engaging said latching portions of said chain engaging members to latch either of chain engaging members with its chain engaging portion in engagement with a chain end when that chain engaging member is rotated from said chain release position to a locking position by the feeding of a chain end through an opening into said housing, and key means engaging said latching means for releasing said latching means when operated to permit at least one of said chain engaging members to rotate as urged by said spring means back to said release position so that the engaging chain end can be withdrawn.
 2. A lock as in claim 1 wherein said latching portions each include a slot in the associated chain engaging member and wherein said latching member includes first and second latching members each having a tongue mating a slot of respective chain engaging members, means for mounting said latching members each adjacent to said respective chain engaging members in said housing, a spring urging said latching members apart and respectively into the slots of said chain engaging members and wherein said key means engages said latching member to cause, when operated, at least one of said latching members to move against the urging of said spring so that the tongue of that latching member moves out of the slot in a chain engaging member.
 3. A lock as in claim 2 wherein said mounting means includes a member mounting said chain engaging member for rotation.
 4. A lock as in claim 2 including a plate mounted in said housing for holding said latching members in place.
 5. A lock as in claim 1 wherein said housing is formed in two parts.
 6. A lock as in claim 1 wherein said chain engaging members each have a spring attaching portion separated from its axis of rotation and wherein said spring means includes a spring connected between said spring attaching portions of said chain engaging members. 